Reducing vulnerability of fishers, fish farmers and their communities to

disasters and climate change impacts

Florence Poulain

Fisheries and Aquaculture DepartmentFAO

florence.poulain@fao.org

Key Messages The contribution that fisheries makes to communities and

countries is threatened by the increasing vulnerability of the people involved in the sector to hazards/disasters.

The increased interconnectedness between hazards and climate change suggest that disaster risk management and climate change adaptation need to be integrated into a combined strategy , particularly at the land/water interface.

This suggests that DRM & CCA need to be incorporated into fisheries policies and plans; and fisheries into DRM and CCA strategies and plans.

Fish is a major source of nutrition and high-quality animal protein – supplying over 4 billion people with at least 15% of their average protein intake

They are a major source of employment to both men and women - 50 % of ancillary workers are women

Fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of about 540 million (8% of the world population)

They contribute significantly to national economies

Significance of the sector

Food and waterFood and water

A means of transportA means of transport

FuelwoodFuelwood

MedicinesMedicines

A means of exchangeA means of exchange

Cultural significanceCultural significance

A means of social interaction

A means of social interaction

Shoreline protectionShoreline protection

Building materialsBuilding materials

Tradable productsTradable products

Significance of the sector

Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters

Fishers, fish farmers and their communities are often some of the most vulnerable communities to hazards/disasters. This is due to:

Exposure: Location Livelihoods activities

Poverty Limited access to social services Low levels of education Inadequate organisational structures

Disasters & Disaster types

1. Storms, cyclones/hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts, floods and landslides

2. Oil spills and nuclear/radiological material

3. Food and nutrition security, post conflict, HIV/AIDS, aquatic animal diseases

Disaster: A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources (UNISDR)

Disaster: A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources (UNISDR)

Impact on the sector

In addition to the tragic loss of life, the effects of disasters on the fisheries sector can be

the loss of livelihood assets such as boats, gear, cages, aquaculture ponds and broodstock, post harvest and processing facilities and landing sites.

Damage caused by disasters can have impact social and economical impacts throughout and well beyond the sector (such as reduced employment, food availability for example).

Nearly 80% of disasters caused by natural hazards are weather or climate related.

These hazards will change in frequency, intensity, spatial extent and duration as a result of changing climate

Changes in weather and climate extremes, and related impacts, pose new challenges

Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report And IPCC Special Report : Managing the Risk of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation

Reducing the effects of disasters through Disaster Risk Management

Reducing vulnerabilities: Risk assessment Prevention and mitigation Preparedness Early warning

Emergency response: Impact and immediate

needs assessment Relief, or emergency

response

Transition planning: Rehabilitation Reconstruction Sustainable recovery

Climate change adaptation and disaster risk management

Effective DRM needs to consider changing climate patterns.

DRM can be a natural entry point for adaptation.

IPCC (The recognised scientific body for climate change) has drawn the attention to the need to integrated DRM, and CCA to better reduce and manage the risks of extreme events and disasters in a changing climate.

The Economics of Resilience:

Lessons from Kenya and Ethiopia

Investment in building the resilience of communities to cope with risk in disaster prone regions is more cost effective than the ever mounting humanitarian response.

International frameworks The Hyogo Framework for Action: Building the Resilience

of Nations and Communities to Disasters

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)- Cancun Adaptation Framework

The Code of conduct for responsible fisheries

FAO Small Scale Fisheries guidelines (under development) - discusses the specific vulnerability of small-scale fishing communities to disaster risks and climate change

2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20): one step further?

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specializedagency of the United Nations.

Achieving food and nutrition security for all is at the heart ofFAO's mandate. FAO’s strategic objectives include Increase the resilience of rural livelihoods to threats and crises   

FAO profile 191 Member Nations, two associate members and one member

organization, the European Union.

FAO/Fisheries disasters types

Since 2005 FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has supported emergency response through 135 projects in 25 countries

Complex EmergenciesTsunamiTropical StormsFloodsEarthquakesFish disease

DRM programme

Latin America and the Caribbean regional meeting, San Jose, Costa Rica, 19 October 2010

APFIC/FAO regional Meeting, Bangkok, Thailand, 5 October 2010

Africa Regional Meeting, Maputo, Mozambique, 11 October 2010.

Inception workshop on FAO extrabudgetary programme on fisheries and aquaculture, Rome, 27-30 October 2009

Regional Meeting, Muscat, Oman, March 25 2012

Report recommendations

There is an urgent need to improve understanding of the complexity and vulnerability of the sector to connect to wider policy framework (e.g. National adaptation programmes of action), to develop capacity, systems and approaches within governments to much more effectively engage with disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

Report recommendations Large information gaps exist. Baseline information

should be routinely gathered from the most vulnerable communities. The identification of fisheries dependent communities is a useful classification to have made in DRM preparedness and should allow for the rapid roll out of support to fishers in such communities.

There should be a concerted move away from post disaster fisheries asset replacement towards more integrated, livelihood informed, responses.

It is important to begin considering what could be the possible impacts of climate change on fisheries stakeholders and the resources that they depend upon.

WAY FORWARDStrengthening policy integration/coherence at regional and national levels, taking community needs into consideration

Building and developing capacity of partners and stakeholders at global, regional, national and community level to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change

Strengthen partnership collaboration and coordination of DRM and CCA in fisheries and aquaculture

WAY FORWARD

Building ecological, economic and social Resilience

Implementation of ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

Livelihood diversification, public and private insurance

Supporting national planning and coordination in fisheries/aquaculture, DRM and CCA

Thank you